Aerocon Systems - Surplus Nylon Parachute (36' and 66') {Component}

Aerocon Systems Surplus Nylon Parachute (36" and 66")

Aerocon Systems - Surplus Nylon Parachute (36" and 66") {Component}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Overall Rating:

Manufacturer:

Brief:
This a review of Aerocon's 36" and 66" white nylon chutes. I have been so impressed at their value that I had to write a quick review. At 6 and 12 bucks each, respectively, these are a great value! Both are surplus chutes liberated from mortars, flares, etc.

Flight:
The 36" chute is made from thin nylon and has nine 32 inch shroud lines made from 1/16 inch flat nylon. These are tied off and clamped with a metal brad. The ninth line is a reefing line that is attached to the middle of the canopy. Aerocon cites a book that states that a reefed chute can have the drag of a larger chute (44 inches in this case). I can't really vouch for that fact, but can say it works just fine, having flown it a couple of time is rockets such as my Estes Mercury Atlas. The chute comes with a cloth deployment bag and weighs 28 grams with that bag. I used a chute protector but did not use the bag.

The 66" chute is constructed from two panels of lightweight nylon. It is securely sewn and includes a 4" spill hole. It has a whopping 12 suspension lines, each 66" long. Aerocon states that these are 1/8 inch fiberglass and are fireproof. They feel like tubular nylon to me, but it doesn't matter much. The lines terminate in some larger tubular material, and there is one large loop to connect to. This one weighs 14 oz. with the 2 piece cloth deployment bag. It came inserted in the bag with the suspension lines folded neatly and secured with rubber bands. This picture isn't too good, but you can see additional photos, both in and out of the bag, on Aerocon's web site. I flew this chute one time on my Upscale Big Brute, which weighed about 8.5 lbs. at deployment. I didn't use the deployment bags, but left the lines folded and banded as delivered. It will never be as nicely packed again. The 66 inch chute worked great in this application.

Summary:
These chutes are very inexpensive and work well. The 36 incher is great for small rockets and as a replacement for the larger Estes chutes. The larger one is well built and will work on 4" airframes and up. I exceeded Aerocon's recommended weight, but it worked perfectly, nonetheless.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Comments:

D.A.S. (May 26, 2003)

I have to agree with the review. My 'chute is the 66 incher, and I was concerned about whether or not it would be strong enough for my dual deployment, stretch Minie-Magg. Not to worry... these things are strictly bulletproof. They also take common fabric dye really well. I dyed mine fluorescent pink to make it more visible.

J.P.C. (July 17, 2005)

I also have the Aerocon 66" chute on an 8 1/2 lb. rocket. It works great. I especially like the fact that the chute deflates as soon as it touches the ground. No more watching your rocket get dragged across the field by the wind as you look on in horror.

J.R. (November 9, 2005)

I have two, great chute (66") and those lines are not TN, definitely fiberglass. I like the price and once it opens it is a very nice chute but the large number of shrouds (and slick material making packing less neat) made mine take a sec to open, but it worked on two flights under 700'. Once open it's large amount of shrouds give it a really nice look compared to other round chutes with less. Not sure how the D-bags work, didn't use mine.

A.K.S. (December 12, 2005)

I attempted to use two of the 36" chutes in a Fliskits Richter Reckor with less than perfect results. I had one chute on the Kevlar® shock cord and on inside the body of the rocket. Flis says to chute both parts but I don't want to chase two pieces and use a long shock cord. Was only able to get one chute to open in two flights with minor damage to the booster both times. I now use a single 50" Nylon chute with better results. I think the Aerocon material may expand under ejection charge compression and you may want to use them in larger body tubes like a BT-70 on up. Also use adequate talcum powder to lube the chute up so it slides easier. I of course was cramming two of them in the small Reckors' booster so I was indeed doing something out of the ordinary. I still have both 36" chutes and wouldn't hesitate to use them in larger projects in single chute configuration.

B.S. (November 14, 2007)

I purchased one of these via Ebay and found that the fiberglass shroud lines had not aged well. The lines were quite frayed and I had to have a friend redo the lines for me. He elected to yoke them and give me half the number of lines to deal with and sewed a nice loop onto the end of the shroud lines. All in all it would have been as cheap to have him make a new one.

Robert Hadow (June 22, 2024)

Aerocon still has the 60" parachutes in 2024. The canopy is F-111 low porosity fabric. It meets the field strength test--you cannot put your thumb through it. The suspension lines look like braided coreless Dacron or nylon, slightly dull. They are indeed fiberglass, as would be appropriate for a flare.

I machine washed one using gentle cycle and hung it to dry.. Then I dyed the whole thing using the Rit dye stovetop method for nine minutes. I washed it again in cool water, gentle cycle. The canopy is spectacular. I used Rit Scarlet all-purpose dye with vinegar and detergent (read the instructions). The lines took no dye, as one might expect for glass. Washing turned the glass all shiny and destroyed the braid. The lines, now disturbed and slightly crunchy, I can break with 50 lbf. A burn test confirms they are not plastic.

I will try again, washing by hand first, then dying in hot water, but keeping the lines mostly out. I'll hand wash again and see how that turns out. I'll turn the lines from the first one into chopped filler, and recover almost half of the cost of the parachute.

These parachutes pack small enough to fit in a 3" tube, in a burrito 8" long. The suspension lines are half of the volume, and probably half the weight. The total weight is 14 oz after you cut off the wire cable. In my estimation--but subject to test--they'll withstand a 120 mph opening and likely a 180 mph opening...before you do a craft project.

Aerocon also has 18" parachutes, bulletproof little things, perfect for a drogue.

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